Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Photoperiod On Developmental Morphology And Enolase Isoenzyme Immunohistochemistry In Rat And Djungarian Hamster Superficial Pineal Glands, Chalmer D. Mcclure

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The best understood functional activity of the pineal gland is its diurnal production of melatonin in response to environmental lighting cues. Several enzymes of the melatonin pathway respond to daily photoperiod changes, for example hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) and serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT). Increased levels of the glycolytic enzyme neuron-specific enolase (NSE) are thought to reflect increased physiological demands placed on neurons and neuroendocrine tissues. Homodimer non-neuronal enolase isoenzyme (NNE) is immunolocalized to cells, and the hybrid enolase (consisting of subunits from NSE and NNE) has been seen in cerebellar stellate and basket cells. Although not rate limiting, concentrations of both NSE and …

Regulation Of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Synthesis By Retinoic Acid And Dexamethasone, Kerby C. Oberg

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Fetal rat lung (FRL) cells incubated in the presence of retinoic acid or dexamethasone exhibit altered ¹²⁵I-epidermal growth factor (EOF) binding capacity. Retinoic acid enhances ¹²⁵I-EGF binding 3-fold following 24 hours of 37° incubation. In contrast, FRL cells incubated in the presence of dexamethasone display a 2-fold reduction in ¹²⁵I-EGF binding capacity. The change in binding capacity, induced by either hormone, was due to alterations in the average number of receptors per cell as determined by Scatchard analysis of ¹²⁵I-EGF binding. In the absence of retinoic acid or dexamethasone, FRL cells were calculated to have approximately …

Regeneration Of Meissner Corpuscles In Diabetic Mice Following Median Nerve Crush, Bonnie J. Forrester

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The hyperglycemic metabolic condition found in diabetes mellitus leads to the development of sensory neuropathies and causes delayed and incomplete neuronal regeneration. Diabetic sensory neuropathy has been shown to contribute to the impairment of light touch and low frequency vibratory perception. It is proposed that the regeneration of receptors that detect these sensations will be delayed and incomplete in diabetic animals with uncontrolled hyperglycemia. This study addresses the effects of diabetes on the regeneration of Meissner corpuscles, distal sensory endings that perceive light touch and low frequency vibration.

Corpuscles from 60 diabetic mice, and their age-matched, non-diabetic littermates, were examined …